"For some, the looming threat of losing all of their free time to the constant chatter of social media is a big barrier to entry. If you know anyone like that, perhaps they'll enjoy today's column. Because of my work in Web traffic analysis I often get asked questions about return on investment. 'What's the ROI of Facebook?' someone will ask. Or Twitter, or Foursquare or whatever. The answer is always some variation of, 'It depends.'"

"It's well known to industry experts that the combination of organic and paid search engine results page (SERP) listings not only gives you brand lift; it results in higher click-through rates. Search Engine Land reported that paid and organic listings equal a 15 percent click-through rate, reviewing the findings of a recent study conducted at Penn State. Any marketer would love to get a 15 percent lift in site visitors, right? However, many marketers depend heavily on paid listings, partly because of immediate results and the ability to fine-tune campaigns on the fly while controlling costs. When it comes to SEO, the initial cost of a campaign is perceived to be high, despite the fact that SEO is very cost effective over time."

"But in its own quiet way, the news was heartening for anyone who believes that government can and should communicate more clearly with the American people—especially when it comes to the much derided (and misunderstood) Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009."

"You understand the concept of syndicating your listings. On major brand touts that they syndicate their listings on over 250 websites in addition to displaying them on their own company website. The idea is to get your listings maximum exposure by displaying them in the countless places where buyers begin their property searches. With links back to the company website (or to your own website) plus your phone number, hopefully, the buyer will find you and contact you."